By Josh Ong
Published: 03:21 AM EST (12:21 AM PST)Apple's sixth-generation iPhone could include a front-facing camera capable of HD resolution, according to a new reported from a trusted analyst insider.
The Cupertino, Calif., company is expected to make "quite a few essential adjustments" to its next iPhone, KGI analyst Mingchi Kuo said in a note to investors earlier this week.
In addition to the move to HD, he believes Apple will also employ a flip-chip (FC) solution for the front-facing camera on the upcoming iPhone. The camera's position would be moved to the middle, he said.
Kuo noted that an HD front camera would better suit the 4-inch display that he expects Apple's sixth-generation handset to have. Currently, the front-facing camera of the iPhone 4S is capable of VGA resolution.
As for the rear-facing camera, Kuo said Apple will likely retain the 8-megapixel camera while improving the aperture range to go up to f/2.2. The iPhone 4S has a maximum aperture of f/2.4. The analyst also predicted that the rear camera on the next iPhone will be noticeable thinner, "making it the most challenging iPhone design yet."
According to his analysis, the new iPhone's rear camera will have a CCM of 5.55mm and a lens TTL of 4mm, down from 6mm and 4.8mm on the iPhone 4S. Apple's suppliers will reportedly face "unprecedented challenges" producing the rear camera component because of the changes to the design.
Kuo issued a report in April claiming that Apple will slim down the iPhone to 7.9mm or less. The iPhone 4S has a depth of 9.3mm. The use of an in-cell touchscreen display is expected to shave as much as 0.4mm off the phone.
Sony, which provides the CMOS for the iPhone 4S, announced this January that it had developed a thinner next-generation CMOS. Last month, camera parts allegedly bound for the next iPhone surfaced online. If the parts were indeed authentic, they would suggest that Apple plans to redesign the cameras for its sixth-generation handset.
Apple is expected to launch the new iPhone this fall in either September or October. Some reports have claimed that the device will feature a redesigned form factor and 4G LTE connectivity.
Microsoft should purchase Nokia, model Apple's iPhone strategy - ZDNet
If consumers & IT professionals like Windows 8 & Metro... and then see an ad for Windows Phone, they're going to recognize the live tiles... and that's when it may all come together.
I actually think that Windows Phone was the beta test for Windows 8. Once Microsoft saw that those who purchased Windows Phones LOVED them, they realized, "Okay, it's safe to bring this to the PC."
In summary, Windows 8 & Windows Phone 8 are Windows Phone's third act (WP7 was Act I, Mango & Nokia were Act II, & Apollo is Act III). So, again, I don't think Windows Phone suffers from a hardware problem. It suffers from a lack of support among mobile carriers. If Verizon gets onboard like AT&T has, Windows Phone could flourish.
Instead of buying Nokia, I think Microsoft would be better served with inking a similar exclusivity deal with RIM. RIM could create hardware targeted at the enterprise sector and run the Windows OS, and then also create apps exclusively for Windows Phone. Since RIM & Microsoft both have strong relationships with the enterprise sector, the synergies might actually benefit both companies. Nokia (and the others) could focus on the consumer market.
Nokia unveils trio of touchscreen feature phones - Computerworld
IDG News Service - Nokia has launched three new advanced feature phones with touchscreens offering a "smartphone-like" experience, the company said on Wednesday.
Nokia is trying to make the low end of its portfolio more competitive: During the first three months of 2012 it suffered not just because slow sales of its Windows and Symbian-based smartphones, but also because its feature phone portfolio hadn't kept up with the competition's.
The company needs to do a better job with the feature-phone business, CEO Stephen Elop said during a conference call announcing the first quarter results, and vowed to launch full touch products.
Elop has kept that promise, adding the Asha 305, Asha 306 and Asha 311 to Nokia's portfolio. All are based on the S40 platform.
The Asha 305 and Asha 306 both have a 3-inch screen, a 2-megapixel camera and GPRS connectivity.
In addition, the Asha 305 has Nokia's Easy Swap Dual SIM technology, which allows SIM cards to be swapped without opening up or turning the phone off, according to Nokia.
The Asha 306 also has Wi-Fi, which at US$93 before local taxes or operator subsidies is Nokia's cheapest WLAN phone to date, it said.
However, the Asha 305 is the cheapest of the three new phones at $85 before local taxes or operator subsidies.
The Asha 311 is the most advanced of the three. The HSPA phone is powered by a 1GHz processor and has a 3-inch display, a 3.2-megapixel camera and a micro-SD card slot. The phone will cost $121 before local taxes or operator subsidies.
On the software side, all future owners of the three phones will receive 40 games from Electronic Arts to download for free, excluding the cost of the data connection, according to Nokia. The games range across action, arcade and sports, and include titles such as Tetris, Bejeweled, Need for Speed: The Run and FIFA 12, Nokia said.
Users can also browse the Web and choose between a number of options for email and chat.
The Asha 305 will be available in the second quarter, while the Asha 306 and Asha 311 are arriving in the third quarter.
Nokia has to compete with a growing number of cheap Android-based smartphones.
For example, Vodafone recently launched the Smart II, an Android phone with a 832MHz processor, a 3.2-inch screen, a 3.2-megapixel camera and a micro-SD card slot. It can access the Internet using Wi-Fi and HSPA, and track the user's position with A-GPS. The phone runs Android 2.3 and will first go on sale in the U.K., costing APS70 (US$108) with a pay-as-you-go subscription.
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